Sunday, September 30, 2012

Getting Critical For 20 Years

The ride that started it all was 20 years ago this month! No matter what you think about Critical Mass, if you ride a bicycle in any city that has a bicycle lane or a sharrow or bicycle racks to park on you owe that first ride, and every one since, for making sure that the rights of bicyclists all over the world are kept in the public eye. Critical Mass stopped us being invisible. Critical Mass made those of us on the road a force to be reckoned with. Critical Mass kept the conversation going at a time when it was being silenced.

The media and those who just can not, or will not, see beyond their dashboards will never see anything more than the controversy. They will only ever see a 10 minute disruption of their drive as the worst thing to happen in their lives (and if it is, how lucky they are!). They will never see the people in front of them.

According to some, Critical Mass is only a bunch of hooligans out to cause mayhem and ruin it for everyone,

that only the "able bodied" and "young" and "athletic" can particiapte,

only young men out to destroy are there,

it sets a bad example for the kids who see the mayhem.

And yet, it has become a world wide movement, in spite of its "hooligan" tendencies.

So while Critical Mass looks different to different people, it is, whether it means to be or not, the public and in your face fight for the future of little kids with stuffed penguins on their helmets. Isn't that what all protests strive to be about?

Happy 20th, Critical Mass! No offense, but I hope we don't need you in another 20.